Film Room: Kony Ealy's revenge doesn't go according to plan

Film Room: Kony Ealy's revenge doesn't go according to plan

When the Panthers took on the Jets on Sunday, they ran into one of their former players, one who almost helped them win a Super Bowl.

Kony Ealy now dons the gang green for the Jets and was excited for his chance at revenge against Carolina, who traded him to New England before the draft. It didn’t go that way.

For the most part, Ealy was rather quiet Sunday.

He lined up against left tackle Matt Kalil the entire game and played 27 snaps on defense (37.5 percent) and one on special teams. He registered just one tackle and didn’t muster much pressure on Cam Newton.

Kalil got the better of Ealy for seemingly the entire day. There were times when Andrew Norwell got involved and also a play where the Jets stunted Ealy as he came around to the other side of the line, where Trai Turner awaited him.

Let’s review how the Panthers took advantage of their former teammate.

Here’s Ealy’s tackle of Christian McCaffrey late in the third quarter.

Ealy (No. 94) doesn’t get too much penetration as he eyes both Newton and McCaffrey on the option. You see Ealy attack Newton but quickly turn and finds McCaffrey has the ball. With him not completely attacking Newton and staying home, he’s in position if McCaffrey were to cut back, which he does, allowing Ealy to catch McCaffrey and bring him down for a short gain.

Ealy was likely trying to eye both because earlier in the game, he got burned on a similar play.

Let’s go back to the second quarter, when the Panthers were lined up at the 50-yard line with a 1st and 10.

You can see Newton looking right at Ealy as he hits the mesh point with McCaffrey. Ealy is ready to crash on Newton, so he hands the ball to McCaffrey, who is off to the races for a 40-yard gain. Newton froze Ealy just enough to eliminate him from the play.

Here’s Ealy dropping into coverage on a third down late in the first quarter.

For his size, he got into the flat rather quick. But then he sort of just stands there with nobody around him. But as you can see, the pressure was getting to Newton anyway, both up the middle and from the corner, forcing Newton to try and escape, but there was nowhere to run and the Jets got to him.

Ealy is having a solid season for the Jets. However, on this day the Panthers got the better of him.